As Im just starting here I wanted to reach out to u guys to get to know the place and the community.Are there any rentals open now? How reliable is windfinder/windguru here?I didn’t bring my equipment from Poland but I plan on doing so in march (Nobile T5 10m2/14m2, Nobile NHP 134).

Im also looking for a cool spot that I can visit on the weekends.Flat as possible (so bay preferred), maybe some shallow water (as I want to teach my girlfriend), 2h max driving distance from Bernal Heights.

Thanks for any info.If u like, I can help u with free spot transport or some free lessons for advice :]

Officially off season in California - Kiting basically between March to October. Any wind is likely to be brief and unreliable, or associated with a storm... unofficially there have been a number of good days.

You're not missing much until March or April anyway, unless you love coastal surf riding. Depending on your weight, you may want to look at getting something smaller than a 10m: Sherman and 3rd Avenue are two of the best flat(ish) water riding spots in the area, but can easily get into the 20-30 knot range on a good day, occasionally even nuking to 40s. Most of the shops are closed until spring, you might luck out with Helm of Sun Valley since they also do snow stuff, otherwise call around or check with the owners here on the forum to see if arrangements can be made for whatever equipment you're looking for. Pretty much all of them are amazing and help in whatever way they can.

As for teaching your girlfriend, Alameda is the place to go. There's an amazing school on the beach in case you want to ditch her into the hands of someone else when you realize the great wind you're missing out on. Shallow, sandy water for a long ways out at low tide, super long downwind beach, minimal swell. The winds usually pick up fast in Spring and begin to die out as we get into summer, so make sure you jump on the short window of opportunity so she can progress to harder but more consistent beaches by summer (3rd Avenue, Toll Plaza, Bodega Bay).

Windguru/winfinder does an okay job, but nearly everyone in the area opts to pay the $10 per month for iKitesurf forecasts. They have human forecasts released two or three times a day during the prime season. They definitely have gotten good for forecasting beches like Sherman and third, as well as the coast, but still struggle with Alameda and Berkeley, which are notoriously difficult beaches to predict. You'll probably want to learn a bit about the tides and how they create strong ebbs and floods in the bay. Places like Sherman and Crissy Field (experts only) are both hugely impacted by the tides, but many sites either are unrideable at certain tides, or can turn into mud baths.

Sold all my gear; ebbs and flows; see you next season.

"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe." — Albert Einstein

Keeping in low then till April. Looks like I'm going to be visiting Alameda pretty often :]. How is the water like there in the season. Should I bring my 4/3 drysuite from Poland or should I invest in something a bit more thicker?If some of u plan on going there from SF on the weekends when the season starts just let me know I will be more then happy to offer a ride :D.

I am visiting SF for a week between June 22 - 28, and I would like to ask you for some guidance.I have 3-4 years experience, and plan to come down there with my 12m ocean rodeo razor. I have an 8m as well, but it needs a small repair on a strut and i am thinking of only bringing the 12m. Is that sufficient, too small, too big for the season?

Also, I would need some advice on the spots to visit. I have been reading about Alameda and Crissy. Is the wind strong enough in Alameda as it is on the rest of the spots on the pacific side?

Finally, since I am flying in for a few days, it could be inconvenient to travel with the board, so I was wondering what you recommend about that. Anywhere I can borrow/test or rent a board for a few days?

I am visiting SF for a week between June 22 - 28, and I would like to ask you for some guidance.I have 3-4 years experience, and plan to come down there with my 12m ocean rodeo razor. I have an 8m as well, but it needs a small repair on a strut and i am thinking of only bringing the 12m. Is that sufficient, too small, too big for the season?

Also, I would need some advice on the spots to visit. I have been reading about Alameda and Crissy. Is the wind strong enough in Alameda as it is on the rest of the spots on the pacific side?

Finally, since I am flying in for a few days, it could be inconvenient to travel with the board, so I was wondering what you recommend about that. Anywhere I can borrow/test or rent a board for a few days?

Thank you very much!

12m is usually too big for Crissy, the average size used is 9m. Bring all your gear and board.